Dividers.



.H i1\T O.'761 ,855.

-UNITED STATES DIVIDERSI-II Patented June '7, 1904.

TERNAY R. SKINNER, or DUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,855, dated J une'7, 1904. Appl ati filed October 15,1903. Serial No. 177,197. (No model.)

T o' otll whom it may concern."

' Be it known that 1,,TERNAYR. SKINNnma citizen of the United States, residing at Dubois,

in thecou'nty of Glearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dividers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip' tion of the invention, such as will enableothers and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in dividers. c The object of the invention is toprovide skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make means for automatically adjusting the legs of the same to enable the instrument to be used in drawing volutes and also to provide means for effecting a positive ad j ustment of the legs which will not interfere with the automatic adjustment of the same.

A further object is to produce an instrument of thischaracter which will be simple in construction, inexpensive, and well adapted, to'

the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and par: ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apair of dividers embodying the invention. Fig. 2' is a vertical sectional View, on an enlarged scale, of the upper portion of the same.

Referring to thedrawings more particularly, 1 denotes the head, which may be of the usual or any suitable form, and to said head is pivotally connected the upper end of one of the leg members 2 of the'divid'ers, in the lower end of which is formed a socket 2?, which is adapted to receive the reduced end of a point 3, which may be "in the form of a scratchpoint, as shown, or a pencil or a penrcarrying point may be substituted, if desired- A setscrew 1-isscrewed into said leg to engage the reduced end whichever of said points are used to hold the same in place in said socket.

In one side of the upper end of the leg member 2 is formed a curved recess 5, in which is arranged a curved plate 6, which is pivotally connected at its lower end to the member 2 by a pivot'bolt7, as shown. A set-screw 8 is screwed through the'opposite side ofsaid leg member, andthe end of said screw is adapted to engage the inner side of the curved plate 6, 1

whereby when said screw is screwed in the upper .end of the leg 2 will be forced away from the plate 6, which will cause the lower end of the same to move in toward the other "tudinally disposed threaded bore 1 3, thus forming a nut. The lower section 12 of the leg member 9 is formed at its upper endwith a reduced threaded portion 1 1, which is adapted to be screwed into and through the threaded bore 13 of the section .10. The end of. the threaded portion .14 is rounded and is adapted to engage the outer wall of thecurved plate 6, as shown. .1

A, spring 15, which is preferably though not necessarily in the form of a flat leaf-spring, as shown in the drawings, is fixed at its upper end to the inner side of the nutor short hinged section 10 of the leg member 9 and has its lower end bearing against the inner side of the leg member 2, the tendency of the spring being to force the two leg members apart. A nut 16 is arranged upon the reducedthreaded, portionl i of the section 12,- said nut being adapted; to be screwed up tightly against the lower end of the section 10 and servesas a' jam-nut to hold the parts of-the leg. member 9 in a fixed-position when so desired. J

Inthe lower vvend of the sect-ion 12 of the leg member 9 is formed a socket 12, which is adapted to receive'the reduced upper end of the pivot-bolt 7 and is provided with a'longia double point 17, said point being heldin place by a set-screw 18, the loosening of which permits the point 17 to be removed and a single point inserted, in which condition the instrument may be used asordinary springdividers. c g

To use the instrument. for drawing volute curves, the double point is inserted in the paper or other surface upon which it is desired to describe the curves, which will prethe lower section 12 of the leg member 9. The head 1 and the leg member 2- may now be rotated and the point 3 caused to describe a curve upon said drawing-surface. The rotation or turning of the head 1 and leg member 2 causes the upper section or nut of the leg member 9 to screw 01f from the threaded upper end of the section 12, which permits the spring to force the leg member 2 away from the leg 9, thereby widening the angle between the same and gradually increasing the radius of the curve being devent the turning of scribed by the point on the end of the leg 2.

In order that the angle of the leg 2 may be positively adjusted with respect to the leg 9 to set the instrument to the desired starting radius, the curved pivoted plate 6 is provided, Which permits the angle of the leg 2 to be changed by means of the set-screw 8, which bears against said plate, and when screwed in forces the upper end of the leg 2 out and the lower end in toward the leg member 9 against the tension of the spring 15. A reverse movement of the screw allows said spring to force the leg member out again.

It will be understood that the spring 15 continually holds the end of the screw 8 into engagement with the plate 6 and forces the plate into continual engagement with the end of the screw-threaded portion of the leg member 9, thereby always keeping said leg members spread apart to the full limit allowed by the adjusted positions of said screw-threaded parts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg, a hinged member and a nut pivoted thereto, a leg having a screw member engaging the nut and bearing against said hinged member, and means to adjust the hinged member for effecting a positive adjustment of said legs, substantially as described.

2. An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg, a nut pivoted thereto, a hinged member and a leg having a screw member engaging the nut and bearing against said hinged member, a spring to spread the legs apart, and means to adjust the hinged member for effecting a positive adjustment of said legs, substantially as described 3. An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg, a hinged member and a nut pivoted thereto, a spring bearing between the said nut and leg, a leg having a screw member engaging the nut and bearing against said hinged member and means to adjust the hinged member for effecting a positive adjustmentol' said legs, substantially as described.

4. An instrument of the characterdescribed, comprising a leg having a curved hinged plate and a nut pivoted thereto, a leg having a screw member engaging the nut and bearingagainst said plate, a jam-nut on said screw member and a set-screw carried by the li rst-mentioned leg and coacting with the curved hinged plate, to adjust the latter, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

5. An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg having a hinged plate, and a nut pivoted thereto, and a leg having a screw member engaging said nut and bearing against said hinged plate to automatically move the legs angularly when the nut is revolved on the screw member, and means to adjust thehinged plate for effecting a positive adjustment of the angle of said legs without interfering with said automatic adjustment, substantially as described.

6. An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg having a hinged plate, and a nut pivoted thereto, and a leg having a screw member engaging said nut and bearing against said hinged plate to automatically move the legs angularly when the nut is revolved on the screw member in one direction, a spring coacting with the nut and screw member to spread the legs apart when the nut is revolved in the reverse direction, and means to adjust the hinged plate for efl'ecting a positive adjustment of the angle of said legs without interfering with said automaticadjustment, substantially as described.

7 An instrument of the character described, comprising a leg having a hinged plate and a nut pivoted thereto, and a leg having a screw member engaging said nut and bearingagainst said hinged plate to automatically move the legs angularly when the nut is revolved on the screw member in one direction, a spring coacting with the nut and screw member to spread the legs apart when the nut is revolved in the reverse direction and. a set-screw arranged to engage said hinged plate whereby the angle of said legs may be positively determined, substantially as described.

8. Aninstrumentof theclassdescril)ed,comprising a leg having a curved recess formed therein, a curved plate pivoted thereto, to move into and out of said recess, a nut also pivoted to said log, a leg having a screw member engaging said nut and bearing against one side of the curved plate, a set-screw arranged in said first-mentioned leg to bear against the opposite side of said plate, whereby said lirstmentioned leg may be adjusted with respect to the other leg, and a spring to spread said legs apart, substantially as described.

9. In an instrument of the class described,

10. In an instrument of the class described,

the combination of a leg, an-ele'm'ent connected thereto for angular movement toward and from the same, means to so move the said angularly-movable element, a nut also connected to the leg for angular movement with refer ence thereto, toward and from said angularly movable element, and a leg havinga screw engaging the nut and also engaging the said angularly-movable element. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses;

TERNAY R. SKINN ER. Witnesses:

F. BLAKE 'KUNTZ, G. CALIN. 

